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Weight gain in pregnancy and child weight status from birth to adulthood in the United States
Author(s) -
Leonard S. A.,
Petito L. C.,
Rehkopf D. H.,
Ritchie L. D.,
Abrams B.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/ijpo.12163
Subject(s) - weight gain , medicine , overweight , obesity , demography , pregnancy , ethnic group , childhood obesity , longitudinal study , national longitudinal surveys , confounding , birth weight , early childhood , body mass index , gerontology , body weight , developmental psychology , endocrinology , psychology , pathology , sociology , biology , anthropology , economics , demographic economics , genetics
Summary Background High weight gain in pregnancy has been associated with child adiposity, but few studies have assessed the relationship across childhood or in racially/ethnically diverse populations. Objectives The objectives of the study are to test if weight gain in pregnancy is associated with high birthweight and overweight/obesity in early, middle and late childhood and whether these associations differ by maternal race/ethnicity. Methods Mother‐child dyads (n = 7539) were included from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a nationally representative cohort study in the USA (1979–2012). Log‐binomial regression models were used to analyse associations between weight gain and the outcomes: high birthweight (>4000 g) and overweight/obesity at ages 2–5, 6–11 and 12–19 years. Results Excessive weight gain was positively associated, and inadequate weight gain was negatively associated with high birthweight after confounder adjustment ( P  < 0.05). Only excessive weight gain was associated with overweight in early, middle and late childhood. These associations were not significant in Hispanics or Blacks although racial/ethnic interaction was only significant ages 12–19 years ( P  = 0.03). Conclusions Helping pregnant women gain weight within national recommendations may aid in preventing overweight and obesity across childhood, particularly for non‐Hispanic White mothers.

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